Fender for ships.



A. VON FORSMAN.

FENDER FOR SHIPS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 10. 1915.

IHE NORRIS PETERS c0. PHIOTOLITHO. WASHINGTONv D C FENDER FOR SHIPS.

Application filed February 10, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, ANDREW VON Fons- MAN,citizen of the United States, residing at Iron River, in the county ofIron and State of lllichigan, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Fenders for Ships, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to collision fenders and guards for ships andboats.

The object of my invention is to provide a collision tender and guardadapted to project in front of thestem and bow of a ship or boat andextend from the keel upward to the water line whereby the tender willserve also as a guard for ice-bergs, submerged wreckage, and marinemines.

it is also my object to provide a ships tender with air and springcushioning means. having connected therewith a watertight collisioncompartment placed in the hull of the ship designed to prevent injury toor leakage therein should the fender be damaged.

My invention chiefly consists in providing a collision fender and guardfor ships and boats adapted for attachment to and conformation with thesheer of the ships bow from the water-line to the keel and having acut-water head projecting forward of the ships stem, formed with ahollow lOOdY-POI" tion adapted to telescope with a casing fixed to andprojecting forward of the ships bow said casing forming an air-chamberprovided with air-ports and plunger-rods carrying coiled springs formingcushions for the tender. Also a collision compartment is secured insidethe hull and arranged in alinement and communicating with said casing byair-ports and adapted to receive the free ends of said plunger-rods.

My invention further consists in the parts and combination of parts aswill hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification Figure1 is a vertical longitudinal section. Fig. 2 is a crosssection taken onthe line a, w, of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on the line y,y, of Fig. 1 and Fig. l is a cross section taken on the line 70, w, ofFig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings; A denotes a fender madepreferably of steel the projecting head or buffer of which forms acut-water a. Rearwardly of the cut-water the body-portion of the fenderSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 1915..

Serial No. 7,416.

is hollow forming an air-chamber a the walls of which terminate in abulkhead a provided with air ports a normally held closed by doors aactuated by springs a 0: denote braces for the walls of the fender.

B, denotes a steel casing secured by its inner end to the ships bow andprojects forward of the bow. Within said casing the aft end of thetender and bulkhead a is telescopically mounted.

B denotes a stationary bulkhead formed adjacent to the ships stem,forming the aft wall of the casing B, and, together with the movablebulkhead a forms an air-chamber B within said casing.

6 denotes an air-port having a door b which is normally held closed by aspring 6 and 5 denotes a man-hole. Openings are provided in bulkhead Bprovided with stufling-boxes 6*, which serve as bearings forplunger-rods hereinafter described.

C. C. C denote plunger-rods rigidly secured to the bulkhead (H. The rodsC. C. are provided with coiled springs c, 0, 0, 0, and sliding collars c0 The rod G is provided with a l rger and stronger spring 0 and a fixedcollar 0 this spring is designed more especially to take up the shock ofheavy collisions, and is not brought into play until the air-cushion isabout one half exhausted.

D denotes a water-tight compartment arranged in alinement with casing Band it serves 'as an auxiliary air-chamber as well as to safe-guard theship. It is secured inside the hull adjacent to the keelson and stem andprovided with a man-hole cl.

E, denotes a steel frame bolted to each side of the bow and to the keel,its outer end projects forward of and in alinement with the ships stemand incloses casing B, serving to hold said casing in position. andbrace the same.

In the event of a collision with a heavy obstacle the body portion ofthe fender is forced back into the casing, the bulkhead a bearingagainst the coiled springs and air cushion in chamber B The air pressure'iorces open the spring held doors leading into chambers a and D. Whenthe pressure is relieved the coiled springs aided by the air compressedin chambers a and D, force the bulkhead a and fender back to theirnormal position. Where submerged wreckage or ice-bergs are encounteredmy fender safeguards the ship below the water-line, and in the event ofcontact with a sub-marine mine would explode the same so far in advanceof the ships bow as to avoid damage thereto. It is evident from theconformation of my tender to the sheer of a ships bow a minimum offriction is obtained, and its application will not affect the speed ofthe ship.

Having described my invention what I claim and desire to'secure byLetters Patent is 1. A bow fender for ships adapted to be submergedbelow the water-line consisting of a cut-water terminating in a hollowbodyportion forming an auxiliary air-chamber,

a casing adapted to receive said body-portion telescopically form anair-cushion therefor and communicate with said air chamber throughair-ports, plunger-rods having coiled springs adapted to form anauxiliary cushion, and a water-tight compartment Within the ships bow inalinement withsaid casing adapted to house the free ends of said rodsand also form an auxiliary air chamber for said casing.

2. A ships fender having a hollow bodyportion forming an auxiliary airchamber its aft end terminating in a movable bulkhead having air-portstherein and its forward end terminating in a cutwater adapted to projectin front of the ships bow, a casing secured to and projecting in frontof the bow of the ship comprising an airchamber within which istelescopically mounted said body portion said casing terminating in afixed bulkhead provided with air ports, a water-tight compartmentforming a continuation of said casing and communicating with saidair-chamber through airports, plunger-rods carrying coiled springs saidrods being rigidly mounted to said movable bulkhead and movably mountedin said fixed bulkhead, and a frame secured to the ships hull adapted toinclose said casing and brace the same.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in'presence of two witnesses.

AN DREW VON FORSMAN. lVitnesses:

J. WM. HARRINGTON, E. M. SAWYER.

'Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

